scholarly journals Life Satisfaction in Women With Breast Cancer1

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (59) ◽  
pp. 295-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange Fonseca ◽  
Leonor Lencastre ◽  
Marina Guerra

It is well known that breast cancer carries many psychosocial consequences. For a deeper understanding of this topic, this study aims to analyze the relationship between life satisfaction, meaning in life, optimism, body image and depression in 55 women with breast cancer, organized into two groups: mastectomized and submitted to conservative surgery. The variables were characterized based on the results from the Auto-Actualização-SentidoVida [Self-Actualization-Life Meaning] sub-scale, the Escala de Otimismo [Optimism scale], the Body Image Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Escala de Satisfação com a Vida [Life satisfaction scale]. Meaning in life and optimism were positively correlated with life satisfaction. Higher depression and body image disturbance appeared associated with lower life satisfaction. Body image disturbance was higher in mastectomized women. It was concluded that women submitted to conservative surgery do not have more life satisfaction than mastectomized women, requiring equal attention in terms of preventing depression and promoting positive variables.

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pankaj Jain ◽  
Gyanesh Kumar Tiwari

The present study attempted to elucidate the nature and extent of relationship between body satisfaction and life satisfaction of the diagnosed Human Immune Virus/Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome ((HIV/AIDS) patients and the individuals with no known chronic physical and/or mental health illnesses. Eighty participants encompassing forty diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients comprising twenty seven males (M = 35.63, SD = 4.58) and thirteen females (M = 33.69, SD = 3.57) and forty postgraduate students containing twenty eight male (M = 28.00, SD = 4.78) and twelve females (M = 24.17, SD = 5.99) took part in the present study. The body image satisfaction and life satisfaction were assessed with the help of Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (Mendelson, Mendelson, & White, 2001) and Life Satisfaction Scale (Alam & Shrivastava, 2001), respectively. The results of the study demonstrated that the participants suffering from HIV/AIDS had lower mean body image satisfaction score (M = 48.78, SD = 6.61) as compared to the normal participants (M =76.90, SD =5.12). Likewise, the life satisfaction scores of HIV/AIDS showed lesser mean score (M =38.50, SD =4.88) as compared to the normal healthy (M =44.25, SD = 3.33). The current theoretical and empirical findings related to body image satisfaction, life satisfaction and chronic physical illnesses have been used to discuss the results of the present study. The findings of the study would have noteworthy theoretical and practical implications for researchers, clinicians, government health policy makers, health professionals and administrators.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ouassil El kherchi ◽  
Amina Aquil ◽  
Noureddine El khoudri ◽  
Mustapha Mouallif ◽  
Mohamed Daghi ◽  
...  

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide with more than 1. 7 million new cases annually. Major advances have been made in the therapeutic management of this condition in many countries. However, neuropsychiatric disorders in patients with breast cancer constitute a significant concern due to their negative impact on patient's life and on the success of therapy itself.Methodology: In this study we aimed to evaluate psychological disorders in a population of 212 Moroccan women treated for breast cancer within the Mohammed VI Center for the Treatment of Cancers of Casablanca. A questionnaire was designed to this end on the basis of different validated scales, including the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Body Image Scale (BIS).Results: Data analysis has shown that 69.3% of participants had significant sleep disorders; 87% suffer from an anxiety-depressive syndrome (ADS), and 83.0% had significant body image dissatisfaction. A positive correlation was shown between ADS and both patients' national health insurance coverage and patients or husbands' education. Analysis further revealed that anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with different types of treatment. Similarly, both BIS and PSQI scores were positively associated with anxiety and depression disorders.Conclusion: The present investigation highlights the need to generalize and strengthen the psychological approach of patients treated for breast cancer in Morocco. We anticipate that such a strategy will alleviate suffering and promote therapy success in these patients and will diminish or prevent conjugal and familial impacts of the illness.


Author(s):  
Ana Prates ◽  
Ruffo Freitas-Junior ◽  
Mariana Prates ◽  
Márcia Veloso ◽  
Norami Barros

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the self-esteem of women with and without breast cancer regarding their body image. Methods A quantitative, case-control study in which 90 women with breast cancer were evaluated in the case group, and 77 women without breast cancer in the control group. For data collection, the body satisfaction scale (BSS), a scale adapted and validated in Brazil, and the Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire were used. For the statistical analysis of the data, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (IBM-SPSS, Chicago, Il, US), version 16.0 was used. Results Compared with the women without breast cancer, those with breast cancer were more dissatisfied with body image related to appearance. Women undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy were more dissatisfied with their appearance compared with those with cancer who were not undergoing this treatment. Mastectomy also accounted for more dissatisfaction concerning appearance among women who underwent the procedure compared with the women who were submitted to breast-conserving therapy. Conclusion Women with breast cancer were more dissatisfied with their body image compared with those without breast cancer, particularly following mastectomy or during chemotherapy. The self-esteem was found to be negatively affected in patients who were dissatisfied with their body image.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (42) ◽  
pp. 2384-2388
Author(s):  
Kavitha Konnakkaparambil Ramakrishnan ◽  
Sreekumar Damodaran

BACKGROUND Body image can be defined as a subjective picture of an individual’s own physical appearance established by self-observation and by noticing the reaction of others. Breast cancer and its treatment has been shown to have tremendous impact on the body image of the patients. We wanted to assess the level of body image disturbance in patients undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer and identify the relation between the body image disturbance and measures of psychosocial morbidity and quality of life. METHODS 35 female patients who had mastectomy for breast cancer were assessed preoperatively, immediately after surgery and 2 months after the surgery. They were administered body image scale questionnaire, HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and WHO QOL BREF. RESULTS Our results showed that 24 out of 35 patients (68.5 %) were Body Image Scale positive at the first interview itself. The number of positive patients increased to 27 at the second interview (77.1 %), but this change was not statistically significant and there was no change from second to third visit. Those who were Body Image Scale Positive had significantly higher anxiety, depression and GHQ12 scores. Those who had a body image disturbance also had a poorer quality of life across all domains. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that there is a high level of body image disturbance in patients undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer even before surgery. This high level also contributes significantly to their psychosocial morbidity and also negatively affects their quality of life. KEYWORDS Body Image, Anxiety, Depression, Quality of Life, Breast Cancer, Mastectomy


Author(s):  
Sunandar Macpal ◽  
Fathianabilla Azhar

The aims of this paper is to explain the use of high heels as an agency for a woman's body. Agency context refers to pain in the body but pain is perceived as something positive. In this paper, the method used is a literature review by reviewing writings related to the use of high heels. The findings in this paper that women experience body image disturbance or anxiety because they feel themselves are not beautiful or not attractive. The use of high heels, makes women more attractive and more confident, on the other hand the use of high heels actually makes women feel pain and discomfort. However, for the achievement of beauty standards, women voluntarily allow their bodies to experience pain. However, the agency's willingness to beauty standards here is meaningless without filtering and directly accepted. Instead women keep negotiating with themselves so as to make a decision why use high heels.


Body Image ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 92-102
Author(s):  
Kerry Ettridge ◽  
Katrine Scharling-Gamba ◽  
Caroline Miller ◽  
David Roder ◽  
Ivanka Prichard

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nitikorn Phoosuwan ◽  
Pranee C. Lundberg

Abstract Background Women having undergone mastectomy due to breast cancer have experiences which are very much individual and contextual. In order to facilitate efforts to understand the women and improve their quality of life, the aim of this study was to investigate body image, life satisfaction and associated factors among Swedish women with breast cancer after mastectomy.Methods After mastectomy, four hundred and eighty-one Swedish women with breast cancer were enrolled in a descriptive cross-sectional study. Each participant completed a questionnaire comprising socio-demographic characteristics, sources of information, body image and life satisfaction. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to estimate relationships between socio-demographic characteristics, information support, sources of information, treatment variables, and outcome variables such as body image and life satisfaction.Results Body image was associated with all dimensions of life satisfaction. Lower age, underlying disease, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction increased body image dissatisfaction, while treatment options were factors associated with life satisfaction. Sources of information was a factor that increased life satisfaction in the dimensions of physical symptoms, sickness impact and quality of close friend relationship.Conclusion The findings highlight that some socio-demographic characteristics, treatment options and sources of information were associated with body image dissatisfaction and life dissatisfaction among the women with breast cancer after mastectomy. This can increase healthcare professionals’ understanding of women with breast cancer after treatment. They should provide effective information, focus attention on the women’s needs, and prepare intervention programs that make the women cope with their life situations during follow-up care.


1954 ◽  
Vol 100 (421) ◽  
pp. 961-964 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Stanton

Certain specific disabilities following lesions of the dominant hemisphere particularly those involving the parietal region, have been recognized for many years. The syndrome of dyscalculia, dysgraphia, right-left disorientation and finger agnosia is usually known as Gerstmann's syndrome, following that author's descriptions in 1924 and 1940. It has been suggested that of these four main components of the syndrome, finger agnosia might be the fundamental disturbance, bringing the others in its train. Thus, as a result of the postulated importance of the digits for numeration, acalculia would naturally follow. Dysgraphia would result from the loss of the “schema” for the fingers—a part of the body-image—and right-left disorientation might be a consequence of the same body-image disturbance—a “hand” agnosia.


2007 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ornella Montebarocci ◽  
Federica Lo Dato ◽  
Bruno Baldaro ◽  
Paolo Morselli ◽  
Nicolino C. F. Rossi

As breast reconstruction is an important adjunct after mastectomy to regain physical integrity and also to improve affect, the present aim was to evaluate patients' subjective perceptions of body image during the whole breast reconstruction period and to assess the importance of their psychological reaction in terms of negative affectivity. Participants were 62 women, 43 women ( M age = 46.4, SD = 9.8) who had had mastectomies and 19 healthy women ( M age = 39.9, SD= 13.99). Patients were admitted for surgery at the Hospital S. Orsola in Bologna. Healthy subjects were relatives of the women and students, all with no history of breast pathology. The Body Satisfaction Scale and the State Anxiety Inventory-Y were administered to the two groups before, post, and 6 mo. after surgery. Analysis of scores indicated that during the period of the study, the women with mastectomies reported higher anxiety and also greater dissatisfaction with their body image than the healthy group, even when the breast had been reconstructed. This unexpected finding suggests patients' unrealistic expectations of the breast reconstruction and the surgical outcome.


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